More Than a Dream, Pt. 2

As mentioned previously, there are many ways to experience the inner worlds. Some are very difficult (meditation, the whirling dervish) and others are not safe for the physical body (hallucinogenic drugs like LSD, peyote, and psilocybin). The easiest way to explore the inner worlds is through dreaming.

Most people don't realize this but dreams are real experiences that the soul is having while the ego is shut down. They often seem disjointed or unreal because we remember them after being filtered through the ego, upon awakening. One thing we must know is that reality is different in the inner worlds than here on the physical.

Upon awakening, the ego takes something alien in the physical and converts it into something familiar, even if it is ludicrous in nature. For example, you may be driving a vehicle yet unknown here while in the dream state, but you will remember the dream as you riding a unicycle down an expressway. That is the result of the ego filtering something alien, into something familiar.

Now that we understand regular dreams we will talk about how to make them real. This is called, lucid dreaming. A lucid dream is when the dreamer realizes that he/she is in a dream, and that realization allows the dreamer full control -- and full memory -- of the experience. If you check the New Age section of your local book store, chances are you will find several good books on lucid dreaming.

To do lucid dreaming one must refrain from using drugs and consume only moderate amounts of alcohol. If you are interested in trying lucid dreaming, here is a technique I learned reading Carlos Castaneda's epic book, "Journey To Ixtlan". Before going to bed, tell yourself that you want to look at your hands during your dream. If you are able to do this, it will snap your "dream" into reality. After you look at your hands, slowly take note of your surroundings. If you start to lose your dream, refocus on your hands; use them as a focal point, then go back to your surroundings.

With practice, you will become the master of your dream. Experiment, have fun; no harm can befall you, so don't worry. In time you will become a dream master.

On to Pt. 3
Back to Pt. 1